"Russian jets launched a second day of air strikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting areas held by an insurgent alliance that includes a group linked to al Qaeda, but not the Islamic State militants Moscow said it had hit.
Russia said it had launched eight air strikes with Sukhoi warplanes overnight, hitting four Islamic State targets. However, the areas where it said the strikes took place are not held by Islamic State.
Al-Mayadeen, a pro-Damascus television channel, said jets carried out at least 30 strikes against an insurgent alliance known as the Army of Conquest. The alliance includes the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's Syrian branch, but not Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate on swathes of Syria and Iraq."
"A 26-year-old man opened fire on a community college campus here in this southern Oregon city on Thursday morning in a rampage that left 10 people dead and wounded seven others, the authorities said.
Students described scenes of carnage concentrated in a public speaking class that was underway in a college humanities building, and people fleeing in panic from classrooms as they heard shots ring out nearby.
The police responded as the school, Umpqua Community College, went into lockdown, and the gunman died in an exchange of gunfire, law enforcement officials said."
---New York Times, October 1, 2015
Jeb Bush Says "Stuff Happens" During Discussion of Umpqua Community College Mass Shooting
October 2, 2015 (Friday)
Above: Jeb Bush;Internet meme mocking Jeb Bush's "stuff happens" gaffe
Above: Cartoonz.com political cartoon lampooning Jeb Bush's "stuff happens" gaffe
"Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Friday more government is not always the answer for Americans when crises erupt and 'stuff happens,' a remark that Democrats charged was a callous response to victims of gun violence a day after an Oregon mass shooting."
Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Afghanistan Bombed by the United States
October 3, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: AP map and aerial photo (left) posted on October 18, 2015 and New York Times map (right) regarding the United States airstrike on Medicins SansFrontieres (Doctors Without Borders) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan on October 3, 2015
"A crowded hospital in the embattled city of Kunduz that treats war wounded came under attack on Saturday and the American military acknowledged that it may have killed 19 patients, staff members and others at the facility while firing on insurgents nearby."
"The head of an international medical charity whose hospital in northern Afghanistan was destroyed in a U.S. airstrike says the 'extensive, quite precise destruction' of the bombing raid casts doubt on American military assertions that it was a mistake.
The Oct. 3 attack on the compound in Kunduz city, which killed at least 22 patients and hospital staff, should be investigated as a possible war crime, said Christopher Stokes, general director of Doctors Without Borders, which is also known by its French abbreviation MSF.
The trauma hospital was bombed during a firefight between Taliban and government troops, as U.S. advisers were helping Afghan forces retake the city after the insurgents overran it and seized control on Sept. 28. Afghan authorities say they are now largely back in control of Kunduz.
U.S. President Barack Obama has apologized for the attack, and the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen. John F. Campbell, said it was a mistake. He said the strike had been called in by Afghan forces, but has not explained exactly how it happened or who granted final approval. Internal military investigations are underway, with preliminary results expected in coming days.
According to Associated Press reporting, American special operations analysts were scrutinizing the Afghan hospital days before it was destroyed because they believed it was being used by a Pakistani operative to coordinate Taliban activity. The analysts knew it was a medical facility, according to a former intelligence official who is familiar with some of the documents describing the site.
It's unclear whether that information ever got to commanders who unleashed the AC-130 gunship on the hospital."
---Associated Press, October 18, 2015
50th Anniversary of the Enactment of the 1965 Immigration Act
"Representative Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Sunday he’ll challenge the current majority leader when the House of Representatives holds leadership elections to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner."
"A series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed at least 56 people and wounded dozens as the government continued its efforts to combat extremism across the country.
The largest bombing took place in the Shiite-majority town of al-Khales in Iraq's eastern Diyala province. At least 32 people were killed in the attack and 58 were wounded when the car bomb tore through a commercial street, a police official said.
In July, Diyala was the scene of one of the deadliest attacks on Iraqi soil in almost a decade when a suicide bomber with the Islamic State group attacked a crowded marketplace, killing 115 people, including women and children. The province, parts of which were previously under the Islamic State group's rule, has been the scene of multiple attacks in recent months — prompting anti-government protests, with citizens demanding tougher security measures.
Meanwhile, in Iraq's southern Basra province, a senior security official said a car bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of a suburb near the city killing 10 people. Jabar al-Saadi, head of security for Basra province, said the bombing happened in the town of al-Zubair Monday, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Basra. At least 25 people were wounded in the attack.
In the capital, Baghdad, police said at least 14 people were killed and 25 wounded when a car bomb exploded in the northeastern neighborhood of Husseiniya."
"With the United States struggling to account for an airstrike that decimated a Doctors Without Borders hospital, the American commander in Afghanistan on Tuesday took responsibility for the sustained bombardment of the medical facility, which he said took place in response to an Afghan call for help.
The commander, Gen. John F. Campbell, said the strike was the result of 'a U.S. decision made within the U.S. chain of command.'
General Campbell, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, offered few new details about the attack, which lasted for more than a half-hour and killed 22 patients and hospital staff members in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. He said the details of what took place would come out in an investigation now underway.
But after days of shifting and at times ambiguous American statements about the strike, which Doctors Without Borders has compared to a war crime, General Campbell was as direct on Tuesday as any official has been to date."
---New York Times, October 6, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Houston Astros Defeated the New York Yankees in a One-Game Wild Card Playoff
October 6, 2015 (Tuesday)
Russia Expands its Military Role in Syria
October 7, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above: Washington Postmap tracing the path of the Russian missiles launched from the Caspian Sea against targets in Syria on October 7, 2015
Above:
Above:
Above: Washington Post map highlighting spheres of control in Syria, circa early October 2015
"Russian missiles fired from Caspian Sea warships traveled more than 900 miles to strike targets in Syria on Wednesday as Syrian government forces opened a ground offensive into areas that include rebel factions, officials said.
The bombardment marked the first naval salvos in Russia’s week-old military intervention and another sharp escalation of Moscow’s firepower in Syria’s multi-faction civil war.
The path of the cruise missiles was not immediately clear, but a route from the Caspian could require coordination with Iran and Iraq. Like Moscow, Iran is a key backer of Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad. Iraq’s leadership has close ties with Iran, but also depends on support from the United States and Western allies."
"The Russian military, sharply escalating its military intervention in Syria, launched 26 medium-range cruise missiles on Wednesday from four warships in the Caspian Sea, while providing air support for a ground offensive by pro-government forces.
Russian officials said the missiles — which traveled more than 900 miles, through Iranian and Iraqi airspace — struck 11 targets in Syria, but they did not specify which groups were hit.
It was not clear whether the missile strike was coordinated with the ground offensive, which was reported by antigovernment activists and insurgents around the central province of Hama, as well as by the television station of Hezbollah, an ally of Syria based in Lebanon."
---New York Times, October 7, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Chicago Cubs Defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a One-Game Wild Card Playoff
October 7, 2015 (Wednesday)
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Drops Out of House Speakership Race
October 8, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: October 8, 2015 headline at DrudgeReport.com, a popular conservative website
Above: Reuters photo of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, at the U.S. Capitol Building on October 8, 2015
Above: AP photos of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on October 8, 2015
"Representative Kevin McCarthy on Thursday abruptly took himself out of the race to succeed John A. Boehner as House speaker, apparently undone by the same forces that drove Mr. Boehner to resign.
Mr. McCarthy announced his decision at a meeting of Republicans in the Capitol, and the gathering quickly became chaotic, with many members unable even to hear what was being said. Mr. Boehner requested unanimous consent to postpone the election — rather than immediately moving to vote on the remaining two candidates — and then announced, 'the meeting is adjourned.'"
"Republicans in Washington struggled to fill a leadership void on Thursday as the front-runner to take control of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, quit the race in a surprise announcement that heightened concerns about the party's ability to govern effectively.
Representative McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, had been expected to win Thursday's contest for the nomination to succeed retiring Speaker John Boehner despite opposition from more conservative lawmakers demanding a harder line against Democratic President Barack Obama's agenda.
But McCarthy stunned colleagues by bowing out before the vote, saying he was still short of the support needed to be an effective speaker."
"If you are Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or John Kasich, what happened on Thursday in Washington should put a lump in your throat. The Republican establishment has been operating for months -- really since the rise of Trump -- under a belief that, eventually, things will return to 'normal' and that the party will put forward an establishment candidate for president. That was the same wrong-headed thinking I heard constantly in the run-up to today's speaker vote: Yeah, sure, conservatives weren't sold on McCarthy, but the alternatives weren't any good or serious, and so he would win. Nope."
---Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, October 8, 2015
"House Republicans are in an historic state of chaos, torn between two ideological poles with no clear sense of who will serve as their next leader, and no idea of their governing agenda with several legislative battles in the coming weeks.
California Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s decision to abandon his bid for speaker Thursday afternoon just moments before a planned closed party election has set of a leadership scramble not seen in more than a decade. What makes this even more extraordinary, though, is there's no obvious line of succession to power."
"Islamic State militants seized a string of villages from rival insurgents north of Aleppo city Friday, in a surprise attack that came despite intensive Russian airstrikes that Moscow insists are targeting the extremist group, activists said.
Iranian state media reported that a senior commander in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard was killed by the Islamic State group on the outskirts of Aleppo city, but it was not immediately clear whether Gen. Hossein Hamedani's death was related to the new IS offensive."
"Nearly simultaneous explosions targeted a Turkish peace rally Saturday in Ankara, killing at least 86 people and wounding nearly 190 others in Turkey's deadliest attack in years — one that threatens to inflame the nation's ethnic tensions.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were 'strong signs' that the two explosions — which struck 50 meters (yards) apart — were suicide bombings. He suggested that Kurdish rebels or Islamic State group militants could be behind the attacks.
The two explosions occurred seconds apart outside the capital's main train station as hundreds of opposition supporters and Kurdish activists gathered for the peace rally organized by Turkey's public workers' union and other groups. The protesters planned to call for increased democracy in Turkey and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.
The attacks Saturday came at a tense time for Turkey, a NATO member that borders war-torn Syria, hosts more refugees than any other nation in the world and has seen renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels that has left hundreds dead in the last few months."
"For the Chicago Cubs and their ever-hopeful fans, this bash was a long time in the making.
Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez homered and the young Cubs clinched a postseason series at Wrigley Field for the first time ever, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Tuesday to win the NL Division Series in four games.
Only once since they last brought home the World Series in 1908 had the Cubs won a playoff series and never before had they finished off the job at their century-plus-old ballpark.
But with a raucous, towel-waving crowd jamming the Friendly Confines, the North Siders gave generations of fans exactly what they wanted.
Closer Hector Rondon struck out Stephen Piscotty on a pitch in the dirt, and catcher Miguel Montero scooped the ball and made the tag to end it. That sent the Cubs streaming out of the dugout to start a wild celebration."
---Associated Press, October 13, 2015
CNN Democratic Presidential Debate: Hillary Clinton Gives Dominant Performance
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs:
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
Iran Gives Final Procedural Approval to Nuclear Deal with Various World Powers
"A senior council of Iranian clerics and lawyers on Wednesday approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, sealing the final required step in the process despite hard-liners' efforts to derail it.
The Guardian Council's vote, while apparently not unanimous, marks a major victory for the administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani, which has campaigned on easing tensions with the West.
But it comes as Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard publicized images of an underground missile base and also has fired off a new long-range surface-to-surface rocket, showing hard-liners will remain a potent force within the Islamic Republic.
Iranian state television announced the decision by the Guardian Council, one of the top leadership bodies in Iran's cleric-ruled system. The 12-member council, half appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and half by the country's judicial chief with parliament's approval, must sign off on all bills before they become law."
---Associated Press, October 14, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Texas Rangers 6 to 3 in Game 5 of the ALDS
October 14, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above: AP photos of Toronto Blue Jays batter Jose Bautista upon hitting a decisive three-run home run versus the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the ALDS, Toronto, Canada, October 14, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the ALDS
October 14, 2015 (Wednesday)
Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, to Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to Paying Hush-Money to a Former Student
October 15, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1999-2007
"J. Dennis Hastert, the small-town wrestling coach who rose to political power as the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House, intends to plead guilty as part of an agreement in a case where he is accused of skirting banking laws and lying to the federal investigators, according to proceedings Thursday in Federal District Court here."
---New York Times, October 15, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: New York Mets Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS
"Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian fighters made advances on Saturday in their offensive to retake territory around the northern city of Aleppo from insurgents and jihadist fighters, a monitoring group said.
The campaign around Aleppo, which the army launched on Friday, is one of several assaults it has waged against rebel fighters since Russian jets began carrying out air strikes on Sept. 30 in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
It has concentrated so far on clearing rebel areas south of Aleppo rather than the city itself, which is home to 2 million people and divided between government forces and rebels.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army and its allies retook three villages amid fierce fighting in which at least 17 Islamist fighters and eight soldiers or allied forces were killed."
---Reuters, October 17, 2015
American League Championship Series Game 2: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
October 17, 2015 (Saturday)
National League Championship Series Game 1: New York Mets Defeated the Chicago Cubs
"Canadian voters reclaimed their country's liberal identity sending Justin Trudeau — the son of one of the country's most dynamic politicians — to the prime minister's office and ending nearly a decade of conservative leadership under Stephen Harper.
The victory in Monday's election by Trudeau's Liberal Party was stunning. The Liberals were on a path to win at least 184 seats out of 338 - a parliamentary majority that will allow Trudeau to govern without relying on other parties. The Liberals received 39.5 percent of the overall vote compared to 32 percent for the Conservatives and 19.6 for the New Democrats.
Harper, one of the longest-serving Western leaders, will step down as Conservative leader, the party announced as the scope of its loss became apparent.
Trudeau's victory could result in improved ties with the United States, at least for the remainder of Barack Obama's presidency. Harper was frustrated by Obama's reluctance to approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas and clashed with the president on other issues, including the Iran nuclear deal. Although Trudeau supports the Keystone pipeline, he argues relations should not hinge on the project."
"Iran's Supreme Leader has conditionally approved the nuclear deal signed between his country and six world powers in July.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's official website carries a letter from the Supreme Leader to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani endorsing the deal, subject to certain conditions."
"Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday approved the Iranian government's nuclear deal with world powers but said Tehran should not give up core elements of its atomic program until allegations of past military dimensions had been settled.
In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, whose pragmatist approach opened the door to nuclear diplomacy with the West, Khamenei ordered the July 14 agreement to be implemented, subject to certain security conditions the Iranian parliament stipulated in a law passed last week.
Under the Vienna agreement, Iran is to curb sensitive parts of its nuclear program to help ensure it cannot be diverted into developing bombs, in exchange for a removal of sanctions that have isolated the Islamic Republic and hobbled its economy."
---Reuters, October 21, 2015
American League Championship Series Game 5: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Kansas City Royals
October 21, 2015 (Wednesday)
National League Championship Series Game 4:
October 21, 2015 (Wednesday)
U.S. Involved in Mission to Rescue Dozens of Kurds from ISIS
October 22, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: Associated Press map of Iraq regarding rescue mission to save captive Kurds from ISIS
"A day after Jeb Bush's campaign said it was taking major steps to cut costs, Donald Trump needled his Republican presidential rival, telling a crowd here Saturday that the former Florida governor is mounting a 'failing campaign.'
'Here's a guy who wants to run our country and he can't even run his own campaign,' Trump told supporters at a sun-drenched riverfront rally where he spoke for nearly 90 minutes. Toward the end of his speech, the crowd near the back started thinning out.
Trump, whose rise has been a serious and unexpected complication for Bush's campaign, was wrapping up two-day swing through Florida, where Bush served two terms. An enthusiastic crowd started lining up Saturday morning for the afternoon event."
"Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has acknowledged that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was partly responsible for the emergence of the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East. But he insists that toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had been the right thing to do."
---Associated Press, October 25, 2015
Controversial Police Action in a South Carolina High School
October 26, 2015 (Monday)
Above: AP photos (derived from student video footage) of Spring Valley High School Resource Officer Ben Fields removing a female student from her desk at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina on October 26, 2015
Above: AP photo of Deputy Ben Fields, Resource Officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina; Spring Valley High School building in Columbia, South Carolina
"Federal authorities launched a civil rights investigation on Tuesday into a white deputy's arrest of a black high school student in South Carolina, after video showed him slamming the teenager to the ground and dragging her across a classroom.
The actions by officer Ben Fields at Spring Valley High School in Columbia on Monday drew swift condemnation after video recordings of the incident went viral and raised fresh concerns over whether the use of police in schools can criminalize behavior once handled by educators."
"Videos taken by students and posted online show Fields warning the girl to leave her seat or be forcibly removed on Monday. The officer then wraps a forearm around her neck, flips her and the desk backward onto the floor, tosses her toward the front of the classroom and handcuffs her.
Lott pointed out at a news conference that the girl can also be seen trying to strike the officer as she was being taken down, but said he's focused on the deputy's actions as he decides within 24 hours whether Fields should remain on the force."
---Associated Press, October 27, 2015
CNN Broadcasts Hard-Hitting Documentary by Fareed Zakaria on the American Disaster in Iraq
"But in the end, the Iraq War was a failure and a terrible mistake, causing geopolitical chaos and humanitarian tragedy.
Once the regime fell apart, the society fell apart. Millions of Iraqis were displaced and at least 150,000 civilians died. That's in addition to the almost 4,500 brave American troops."
---Fareed Zakaria, CNN Broadcast, October 26, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series, Game 1: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 27, 2015 (Tuesday)
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, Pleads Guilty to Federal Crimes
"He just isn't all that good at this. And he knows it.
There's no other conclusion that you could draw after watching Jeb Bush flail in Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate. Bush looked overmatched and lost — an image made all the worse by the fact that he was positioned on the stage in Boulder, Colo., next to Marco Rubio, his one-time political mentee but now quite clearly his superior in the race."
---Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, October 29, 2015
"Thoughtful conservatives, if they are to stop Donald Trump and Ben Carson, must — at some point — coalesce around an alternative. Marco Rubio seems the most likely choice. Unless Jeb Bush destroys him.
"Twice, Bush has said that if the campaign is going to be a ridiculous carnival, he doesn’t want to participate. Guess what? Presidential campaigns are always, to a considerable extent, ridiculous carnivals. But that’s not the only thing they are, or have to be, and it’s the quality and character of a presidential candidate to elevate them into something more.
But even more worryingly: Notice how often Jeb Bush—when he meets adversity—reverts to talking about himself and his feelings. Many politicians suffer moments of depression, but the good ones can take a punch and keep smiling until the opportunity arrives to hit back. All politicians are self-involved, but most at least can remember to put the public first when the microphones are switched on. Not Jeb Bush."
"Bush never recovered. Later, his people complained about not getting more questions. No, no, no. Better to pass away with a mercy killing.
You could blame political malpractice — bad aides, bad advice, bad strategy. A hundred million dollars doesn’t buy what it used to. But the fish stinks from the head down, as any Sicilian grandmother will tell you. Bush owns this debacle, the third in a row. The debate broke him. And the only question remaining is whether he’s deliberately managing a slow exit consisting of cringe-worthy moments, or if there’s something deep in his subconscious driving him to quit. In any event, I’m sure he can hear his mother’s admonition rattling through his ears: 'We’ve had enough Bushes.'"
---Timothy Egan, New York Times, October 29, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 2: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 28, 2015 (Wednesday)
Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, Becomes Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
October 29, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: AP photo of House Speaker Paul Ryan in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., October 29, 2015
"Paul Ryan became the 54th speaker of the U.S. House on Thursday in a day of high political theater, a young new leader for a fractured Congress, charged with healing Republican divides and quieting the chaos of Capitol Hill."
"A small number of U.S. special operations forces will be sent to northern Syria to work with local troops in the fight against Islamic State militants, the White House announced Friday, marking the first time Americans will be deployed openly on the ground in the country.
President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of fewer than 50 commandos to help coalition forces coordinate with local troops, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said."
---Associated Press, October 30, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 3: New York Mets Defeated the Kansas City Royals
October 30, 2015 (Friday)
Metrojet Flight 9268 Destroyed in Flight Over Sinai, Egypt and Cause is Unknown
October 31, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: CNN headline, November 8, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 4: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 2015
Russia Continues Airstrikes in Syria in Support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
October 1, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: Antiwar.com map of Syria; President of Russia Vladimir Putin; President of Syria Bashar al-Assad
Above: The Daily Mail map regarding Russian airstrikes in Syria
Reuters: Russia Continues Airstrikes in Syria, October 1, 2015
"Russian jets launched a second day of air strikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting areas held by an insurgent alliance that includes a group linked to al Qaeda, but not the Islamic State militants Moscow said it had hit.
Russia said it had launched eight air strikes with Sukhoi warplanes overnight, hitting four Islamic State targets. However, the areas where it said the strikes took place are not held by Islamic State.
Al-Mayadeen, a pro-Damascus television channel, said jets carried out at least 30 strikes against an insurgent alliance known as the Army of Conquest. The alliance includes the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's Syrian branch, but not Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate on swathes of Syria and Iraq."
---Reuters, October 1, 2015
New York Times: Coverage of Russian Airstrikes in Syria, October 1, 2015
Mass Shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon
October 1, 2015 (Thursday)
New York Times: Coverage of the Umpqua Community College Mass Shooting, October 1, 2015
"A 26-year-old man opened fire on a community college campus here in this southern Oregon city on Thursday morning in a rampage that left 10 people dead and wounded seven others, the authorities said.
Students described scenes of carnage concentrated in a public speaking class that was underway in a college humanities building, and people fleeing in panic from classrooms as they heard shots ring out nearby.
The police responded as the school, Umpqua Community College, went into lockdown, and the gunman died in an exchange of gunfire, law enforcement officials said."
---New York Times, October 1, 2015
Jeb Bush Says "Stuff Happens" During Discussion of Umpqua Community College Mass Shooting
October 2, 2015 (Friday)
Above: Jeb Bush; Internet meme mocking Jeb Bush's "stuff happens" gaffe
Above: Cartoonz.com political cartoon lampooning Jeb Bush's "stuff happens" gaffe
Reuters: Bush Hit Over Comments Regarding the Umpqua Community College Killings, October 2, 2015
"Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Friday more government is not always the answer for Americans when crises erupt and 'stuff happens,' a remark that Democrats charged was a callous response to victims of gun violence a day after an Oregon mass shooting."
---Reuters, October 2, 2015
CNN: Jeb Bush's "Stuff Happens" Comment, October 2, 2015
Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Afghanistan Bombed by the United States
October 3, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: AP map and aerial photo (left) posted on October 18, 2015 and New York Times map (right) regarding the United States airstrike on Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan on October 3, 2015
New York Times: Apparent U.S. Airstrike Hits Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Afghanistan, October 3, 2015
"A crowded hospital in the embattled city of Kunduz that treats war wounded came under attack on Saturday and the American military acknowledged that it may have killed 19 patients, staff members and others at the facility while firing on insurgents nearby."
---New York Times, October 3, 2015
Associated Press: Coverage of the American Airstrike on MSF Hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan
"The head of an international medical charity whose hospital in northern Afghanistan was destroyed in a U.S. airstrike says the 'extensive, quite precise destruction' of the bombing raid casts doubt on American military assertions that it was a mistake.
The Oct. 3 attack on the compound in Kunduz city, which killed at least 22 patients and hospital staff, should be investigated as a possible war crime, said Christopher Stokes, general director of Doctors Without Borders, which is also known by its French abbreviation MSF.
The trauma hospital was bombed during a firefight between Taliban and government troops, as U.S. advisers were helping Afghan forces retake the city after the insurgents overran it and seized control on Sept. 28. Afghan authorities say they are now largely back in control of Kunduz.
U.S. President Barack Obama has apologized for the attack, and the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen. John F. Campbell, said it was a mistake. He said the strike had been called in by Afghan forces, but has not explained exactly how it happened or who granted final approval. Internal military investigations are underway, with preliminary results expected in coming days.
According to Associated Press reporting, American special operations analysts were scrutinizing the Afghan hospital days before it was destroyed because they believed it was being used by a Pakistani operative to coordinate Taliban activity. The analysts knew it was a medical facility, according to a former intelligence official who is familiar with some of the documents describing the site.
It's unclear whether that information ever got to commanders who unleashed the AC-130 gunship on the hospital."
---Associated Press, October 18, 2015
50th Anniversary of the Enactment of the 1965 Immigration Act
October 3, 2015 (Saturday)
Associated Press: 50th Anniversary of the 1965 Immigration Act, October 3, 1965
Utah Congressman Announces Candidacy for House Speakership
October 4, 2015 (Sunday)
Above: U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah
Bloomberg.com: Utah Congressman to Seek House Speakership
"Representative Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Sunday he’ll challenge the current majority leader when the House of Representatives holds leadership elections to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner."
---Bloomberg.com, October 4, 2015
Deadly Bombings in Iraq
October 5, 2015 (Monday)
Above: Wikipedia map of Iraq
Associated Press: Deadly Bombings in Iraq, October 5, 2015
"A series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed at least 56 people and wounded dozens as the government continued its efforts to combat extremism across the country.
The largest bombing took place in the Shiite-majority town of al-Khales in Iraq's eastern Diyala province. At least 32 people were killed in the attack and 58 were wounded when the car bomb tore through a commercial street, a police official said.
In July, Diyala was the scene of one of the deadliest attacks on Iraqi soil in almost a decade when a suicide bomber with the Islamic State group attacked a crowded marketplace, killing 115 people, including women and children. The province, parts of which were previously under the Islamic State group's rule, has been the scene of multiple attacks in recent months — prompting anti-government protests, with citizens demanding tougher security measures.
Meanwhile, in Iraq's southern Basra province, a senior security official said a car bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of a suburb near the city killing 10 people. Jabar al-Saadi, head of security for Basra province, said the bombing happened in the town of al-Zubair Monday, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Basra. At least 25 people were wounded in the attack.
In the capital, Baghdad, police said at least 14 people were killed and 25 wounded when a car bomb exploded in the northeastern neighborhood of Husseiniya."
---Associated Press, October 5, 2015
Reuters: Declining State Power in Iraq, October 21, 2015
October 5, 2015 (Monday)
Associated Press: Trade Deal Reached Among Pacific Rim Nations, October 5, 2015
U.S. Admits Responsibility for Attacking Doctors Without Borders in Afghanistan
October 6, 2015 (Tuesday)
Above: Wikipedia map of Afghanistan
New York Times: U.S. Military Admits Responsibility for Attacking Doctors Without Borders Hospital
"With the United States struggling to account for an airstrike that decimated a Doctors Without Borders hospital, the American commander in Afghanistan on Tuesday took responsibility for the sustained bombardment of the medical facility, which he said took place in response to an Afghan call for help.
The commander, Gen. John F. Campbell, said the strike was the result of 'a U.S. decision made within the U.S. chain of command.'
General Campbell, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, offered few new details about the attack, which lasted for more than a half-hour and killed 22 patients and hospital staff members in northern Afghanistan on Saturday. He said the details of what took place would come out in an investigation now underway.
But after days of shifting and at times ambiguous American statements about the strike, which Doctors Without Borders has compared to a war crime, General Campbell was as direct on Tuesday as any official has been to date."
---New York Times, October 6, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Houston Astros Defeated the New York Yankees in a One-Game Wild Card Playoff
October 6, 2015 (Tuesday)
Russia Expands its Military Role in Syria
October 7, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above: Washington Post map tracing the path of the Russian missiles launched from the Caspian Sea against targets in Syria on October 7, 2015
Above:
Above:
Above: Washington Post map highlighting spheres of control in Syria, circa early October 2015
Washington Post: Russia Expands its Military Role in Syria, October 7, 2015
"Russian missiles fired from Caspian Sea warships traveled more than 900 miles to strike targets in Syria on Wednesday as Syrian government forces opened a ground offensive into areas that include rebel factions, officials said.
The bombardment marked the first naval salvos in Russia’s week-old military intervention and another sharp escalation of Moscow’s firepower in Syria’s multi-faction civil war.
The path of the cruise missiles was not immediately clear, but a route from the Caspian could require coordination with Iran and Iraq. Like Moscow, Iran is a key backer of Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad. Iraq’s leadership has close ties with Iran, but also depends on support from the United States and Western allies."
---Washington Post, October 7, 2015
Reuters: Russia Launches Missiles from the Caspian Sea Towards Targets in Syria, October 7, 2015
BBC: Russian Missile Attack in Syria, October 7, 2015
New York Times: Russia Launches Missiles From the Caspian Sea Against Targets in Syria, October 7, 2015
"The Russian military, sharply escalating its military intervention in Syria, launched 26 medium-range cruise missiles on Wednesday from four warships in the Caspian Sea, while providing air support for a ground offensive by pro-government forces.
Russian officials said the missiles — which traveled more than 900 miles, through Iranian and Iraqi airspace — struck 11 targets in Syria, but they did not specify which groups were hit.
It was not clear whether the missile strike was coordinated with the ground offensive, which was reported by antigovernment activists and insurgents around the central province of Hama, as well as by the television station of Hezbollah, an ally of Syria based in Lebanon."
---New York Times, October 7, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Chicago Cubs Defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a One-Game Wild Card Playoff
October 7, 2015 (Wednesday)
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Drops Out of House Speakership Race
October 8, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: October 8, 2015 headline at DrudgeReport.com, a popular conservative website
Above: Reuters photo of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, at the U.S. Capitol Building on October 8, 2015
Above: AP photos of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on October 8, 2015
New York Times: Kevin McCarthy Drops Out of Race to Become Speaker of the House, October 8, 2015
"Representative Kevin McCarthy on Thursday abruptly took himself out of the race to succeed John A. Boehner as House speaker, apparently undone by the same forces that drove Mr. Boehner to resign.
Mr. McCarthy announced his decision at a meeting of Republicans in the Capitol, and the gathering quickly became chaotic, with many members unable even to hear what was being said. Mr. Boehner requested unanimous consent to postpone the election — rather than immediately moving to vote on the remaining two candidates — and then announced, 'the meeting is adjourned.'"
---New York Times, October 8, 2015
Reuters: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Withdraws Candidacy to Become Speaker of the House, October 8, 2015
"Republicans in Washington struggled to fill a leadership void on Thursday as the front-runner to take control of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, quit the race in a surprise announcement that heightened concerns about the party's ability to govern effectively.
Representative McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, had been expected to win Thursday's contest for the nomination to succeed retiring Speaker John Boehner despite opposition from more conservative lawmakers demanding a harder line against Democratic President Barack Obama's agenda.
But McCarthy stunned colleagues by bowing out before the vote, saying he was still short of the support needed to be an effective speaker."
---Reuters, October 8, 2015
Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: The Fall of Kevin McCarthy and the House GOP in Revolt
"If you are Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or John Kasich, what happened on Thursday in Washington should put a lump in your throat. The Republican establishment has been operating for months -- really since the rise of Trump -- under a belief that, eventually, things will return to 'normal' and that the party will put forward an establishment candidate for president. That was the same wrong-headed thinking I heard constantly in the run-up to today's speaker vote: Yeah, sure, conservatives weren't sold on McCarthy, but the alternatives weren't any good or serious, and so he would win. Nope."
---Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, October 8, 2015
Politico: "The House GOP's Historic Implosion"
"House Republicans are in an historic state of chaos, torn between two ideological poles with no clear sense of who will serve as their next leader, and no idea of their governing agenda with several legislative battles in the coming weeks.
California Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s decision to abandon his bid for speaker Thursday afternoon just moments before a planned closed party election has set of a leadership scramble not seen in more than a decade. What makes this even more extraordinary, though, is there's no obvious line of succession to power."
---Politico, October 8, 2015
Associated Press: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Ends Bid to Become House Speaker, October 8, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Texas Rangers Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in ALDS Game 1
October 8, 2015 (Thursday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Houston Astros Defeated the Kansas City Royals in ALDS Game 1
October 8, 2015 (Thursday)
ISIS Forces Take Villages Near Aleppo, Syria
October 9, 2015 (Friday)
Above: Antiwar.com map of Syria
Associated Press: ISIS Forces Take Villages Near Aleppo, Syria, October 9, 2015
"Islamic State militants seized a string of villages from rival insurgents north of Aleppo city Friday, in a surprise attack that came despite intensive Russian airstrikes that Moscow insists are targeting the extremist group, activists said.
Iranian state media reported that a senior commander in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard was killed by the Islamic State group on the outskirts of Aleppo city, but it was not immediately clear whether Gen. Hossein Hamedani's death was related to the new IS offensive."
---Associated Press, October 9, 2015
CNN: Chronicle of the Syrian Civil War, 2011-2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Texas Rangers Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS, Game 2
October 9, 2015 (Friday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Houston Astros in the ALDS, Game 2
October 9, 2015 (Friday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: St. Louis Cardinals Defeated the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS, Game 1
October 9, 2015 (Friday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: New York Mets Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, Game 1
October 9, 2015 (Friday)
Terrorist Attack in Ankara, Turkey
October 10, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: AP photo taken from video of the moment of one of the deadly explosions at the peace rally in Ankara, Turkey on October 10, 2015
Associated Press: Deadly Bombings in Ankara, Turkey, October 10, 2015
"Nearly simultaneous explosions targeted a Turkish peace rally Saturday in Ankara, killing at least 86 people and wounding nearly 190 others in Turkey's deadliest attack in years — one that threatens to inflame the nation's ethnic tensions.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there were 'strong signs' that the two explosions — which struck 50 meters (yards) apart — were suicide bombings. He suggested that Kurdish rebels or Islamic State group militants could be behind the attacks.
The two explosions occurred seconds apart outside the capital's main train station as hundreds of opposition supporters and Kurdish activists gathered for the peace rally organized by Turkey's public workers' union and other groups. The protesters planned to call for increased democracy in Turkey and an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.
The attacks Saturday came at a tense time for Turkey, a NATO member that borders war-torn Syria, hosts more refugees than any other nation in the world and has seen renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels that has left hundreds dead in the last few months."
---Associated Press, October 10, 2015
Washington Post: Coverage of Turkey's Fractured Political Landscape, October 10, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Chicago Cubs Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, Game 2
October 10, 2015 (Saturday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Los Angeles Dodgers Defeated the New York Mets in the NLDS, Game 2
October 10, 2015 (Saturday)
Aftermath of the Deadly Terrorist Bombing in Ankara, Turkey
October 11, 2015 (Sunday)
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Associated Press: Coverage of the Aftermath of the Deadly Terrorist Attack in Ankara, Turkey
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Houston Astros Defeated the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS, Game 3
October 11, 2015 (Sunday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, Game 3
October 11, 2015 (Sunday)
Columbus Day 2015: The 523rd Anniversary of the Dawn of European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas
October 12, 2015 (Monday)
Above: Portrait of Christopher Columbus per the conjecture of the artist
The Guardian: Columbus Day Controversy, October 12, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Houston Astros in the ALDS, Game 4
October 12, 2015 (Monday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, Game 4
October 12, 2015 (Monday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Chicago Cubs Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, Game 3
October 12, 2015 (Monday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: New York Mets Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, Game 3
October 12, 2015 (Monday)
Unrest in Israel
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
Above: Map of Israel and surrounding areas ( Source: maps.com)
Above: AP map and graphic regarding Israeli-Palestinian unrest; Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu
Above: Reuters photo of Palestinian women during social unrest in Hebron, West Bank, Israel, October 13, 2015
New York Times: Coverage of Unrest in Israel, October 13, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Chicago Cubs Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6 to 4 in Game 4 to Win the NLDS
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
Associated Press: The Chicago Cubs Defeat the St. Louis Cardinals and Advance to a Berth in the National League Championship Series
"For the Chicago Cubs and their ever-hopeful fans, this bash was a long time in the making.
Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez homered and the young Cubs clinched a postseason series at Wrigley Field for the first time ever, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Tuesday to win the NL Division Series in four games.
Only once since they last brought home the World Series in 1908 had the Cubs won a playoff series and never before had they finished off the job at their century-plus-old ballpark.
But with a raucous, towel-waving crowd jamming the Friendly Confines, the North Siders gave generations of fans exactly what they wanted.
Closer Hector Rondon struck out Stephen Piscotty on a pitch in the dirt, and catcher Miguel Montero scooped the ball and made the tag to end it. That sent the Cubs streaming out of the dugout to start a wild celebration."
---Associated Press, October 13, 2015
CNN Democratic Presidential Debate: Hillary Clinton Gives Dominant Performance
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs:
October 13, 2015 (Tuesday)
Iran Gives Final Procedural Approval to Nuclear Deal with Various World Powers
October 14, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above: Map of Iran
Associated Press: Iran Gives Final Procedural Approval to Nuclear Deal with World Powers, October 14, 2015
"A senior council of Iranian clerics and lawyers on Wednesday approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, sealing the final required step in the process despite hard-liners' efforts to derail it.
The Guardian Council's vote, while apparently not unanimous, marks a major victory for the administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani, which has campaigned on easing tensions with the West.
But it comes as Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard publicized images of an underground missile base and also has fired off a new long-range surface-to-surface rocket, showing hard-liners will remain a potent force within the Islamic Republic.
Iranian state television announced the decision by the Guardian Council, one of the top leadership bodies in Iran's cleric-ruled system. The 12-member council, half appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and half by the country's judicial chief with parliament's approval, must sign off on all bills before they become law."
---Associated Press, October 14, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Texas Rangers 6 to 3 in Game 5 of the ALDS
October 14, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above: AP photos of Toronto Blue Jays batter Jose Bautista upon hitting a decisive three-run home run versus the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the ALDS, Toronto, Canada, October 14, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the ALDS
October 14, 2015 (Wednesday)
Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, to Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to Paying Hush-Money to a Former Student
October 15, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1999-2007
Associated Press: Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, to Plead Guilty to Financial Crimes Associated with the Payment of Hush Money
New York Times: Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, to Enter Guilty Plea
"J. Dennis Hastert, the small-town wrestling coach who rose to political power as the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House, intends to plead guilty as part of an agreement in a case where he is accused of skirting banking laws and lying to the federal investigators, according to proceedings Thursday in Federal District Court here."
---New York Times, October 15, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs: New York Mets Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS
October 15, 2015 (Thursday)
New York Times: Mets Knock Off Dodgers to Advance to the NLCS
American League Championship Series Game 1: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
October 16, 2015 (Friday)
Syrian Forces on the Offensive
October 17, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: Map of Syria (Source: Antiwar.com); Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria
Reuters: Syrian Forces on the Offensive, October 17, 2015
"Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian fighters made advances on Saturday in their offensive to retake territory around the northern city of Aleppo from insurgents and jihadist fighters, a monitoring group said.
The campaign around Aleppo, which the army launched on Friday, is one of several assaults it has waged against rebel fighters since Russian jets began carrying out air strikes on Sept. 30 in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
It has concentrated so far on clearing rebel areas south of Aleppo rather than the city itself, which is home to 2 million people and divided between government forces and rebels.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army and its allies retook three villages amid fierce fighting in which at least 17 Islamist fighters and eight soldiers or allied forces were killed."
---Reuters, October 17, 2015
American League Championship Series Game 2: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
October 17, 2015 (Saturday)
National League Championship Series Game 1: New York Mets Defeated the Chicago Cubs
October 17, 2015 (Saturday)
More Palestinian Unrest in Israel
October 18, 2015 (Sunday)
Associated Press: Coverage of Unrest in Israel, October 18, 2015
National League Championship Series Game 2: New York Mets Defeated the Chicago Cubs
October 18, 2015 (Sunday)
Parliamentary Elections in Canada: Liberals Crush Conservatives, and Justin Trudeau to Become Prime Minister
October 19, 2015 (Monday)
Above: Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada; Incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Above: BBC graph comparing results of the 2011 and 2015 Canadian elections
Above: AP photo of Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau and wife in Montreal, Canada, October 20, 2015
Above: Map of Canada (Source: lonelyplanet.com)
Associated Press: Justin Trudeau Leads the Liberals to Victory in Canada's Parliamentary Elections, October 19, 2015
"Canadian voters reclaimed their country's liberal identity sending Justin Trudeau — the son of one of the country's most dynamic politicians — to the prime minister's office and ending nearly a decade of conservative leadership under Stephen Harper.
The victory in Monday's election by Trudeau's Liberal Party was stunning. The Liberals were on a path to win at least 184 seats out of 338 - a parliamentary majority that will allow Trudeau to govern without relying on other parties. The Liberals received 39.5 percent of the overall vote compared to 32 percent for the Conservatives and 19.6 for the New Democrats.
Harper, one of the longest-serving Western leaders, will step down as Conservative leader, the party announced as the scope of its loss became apparent.
Trudeau's victory could result in improved ties with the United States, at least for the remainder of Barack Obama's presidency. Harper was frustrated by Obama's reluctance to approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas and clashed with the president on other issues, including the Iran nuclear deal. Although Trudeau supports the Keystone pipeline, he argues relations should not hinge on the project."
---Associated Press, October 20, 2015
New York Times: Trudeau's Liberals Sweep Canada's Parliamentary Election, October 19, 2015
American League Championship Series Game 3: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Kansas City Royals
October 19, 2015 (Monday)
American League Championship Series Game 4: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
October 20, 2015 (Tuesday)
National League Championship Series Game 3: New York Mets Defeated the Chicago Cubs
October 20, 2015 (Tuesday)
Iran's Supreme Leader the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Gives His Approval to the Nuclear Deal with World Powers
October 21, 2015 (Wednesday)
CNN: The Ayatollah Gives His Approval to Iran's Nuclear Deal, October 21, 2015
"Iran's Supreme Leader has conditionally approved the nuclear deal signed between his country and six world powers in July.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's official website carries a letter from the Supreme Leader to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani endorsing the deal, subject to certain conditions."
---CNN, October 21, 2015
Reuters: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Approves Nuclear Deal with World Powers, October 21, 2015
"Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday approved the Iranian government's nuclear deal with world powers but said Tehran should not give up core elements of its atomic program until allegations of past military dimensions had been settled.
In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, whose pragmatist approach opened the door to nuclear diplomacy with the West, Khamenei ordered the July 14 agreement to be implemented, subject to certain security conditions the Iranian parliament stipulated in a law passed last week.
Under the Vienna agreement, Iran is to curb sensitive parts of its nuclear program to help ensure it cannot be diverted into developing bombs, in exchange for a removal of sanctions that have isolated the Islamic Republic and hobbled its economy."
---Reuters, October 21, 2015
American League Championship Series Game 5: Toronto Blue Jays Defeated the Kansas City Royals
October 21, 2015 (Wednesday)
National League Championship Series Game 4:
October 21, 2015 (Wednesday)
U.S. Involved in Mission to Rescue Dozens of Kurds from ISIS
October 22, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: Associated Press map of Iraq regarding rescue mission to save captive Kurds from ISIS
Associated Press: U.S. Forces Involved in Rescue of Dozens of Kurds Facing Impending Execution by ISIS, October 22, 2015
Former Secretary of State Testifies to Congressional Benghazi Committee Over an 11 Hour Period
October 22, 2015 (Thursday)
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Associated Press: Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi Committee, October 22, 2015
2015 American League Championship Series Game 6: Kansas City Royals Defeated the Toronto Blue Jays
October 23, 2015 (Friday)
The Race for the 2016 GOP Presidential Nomination: Donald Trump Taunts Jeb Bush
October 24, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: Conservative website DrudgeReport.com screen image, October 24, 2015
Above: Liberal website HuffingtonPost.com screen image, October 24, 2015
Above: Donald J. Trump Twitter post, October 24, 2015
Above: CBS News Twitter post, October 24, 2015
Washington Post: Donald Trump Ridicules Jeb Bush, October 24, 2015
"A day after Jeb Bush's campaign said it was taking major steps to cut costs, Donald Trump needled his Republican presidential rival, telling a crowd here Saturday that the former Florida governor is mounting a 'failing campaign.'
'Here's a guy who wants to run our country and he can't even run his own campaign,' Trump told supporters at a sun-drenched riverfront rally where he spoke for nearly 90 minutes. Toward the end of his speech, the crowd near the back started thinning out.
Trump, whose rise has been a serious and unexpected complication for Bush's campaign, was wrapping up two-day swing through Florida, where Bush served two terms. An enthusiastic crowd started lining up Saturday morning for the afternoon event."
---Washington Post, October 24, 2015
USA Today: Jeb says, "Blah, Blah, Blah"
'"Blah, blah, blah,' Bush said. 'That's my answer — blah, blah, blah.'"
---Jeb Bush, Quoted in USA Today, October 24, 2015
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Apologizes for Mistakes Regarding the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
October 25, 2015 (Sunday)
Associated Press: Tony Blair States 2003 Iraq Invasion Connected to the Rise of ISIS
"Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has acknowledged that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was partly responsible for the emergence of the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East. But he insists that toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had been the right thing to do."
---Associated Press, October 25, 2015
Controversial Police Action in a South Carolina High School
October 26, 2015 (Monday)
Above: AP photos (derived from student video footage) of Spring Valley High School Resource Officer Ben Fields removing a female student from her desk at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina on October 26, 2015
Above: AP photo of Deputy Ben Fields, Resource Officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina; Spring Valley High School building in Columbia, South Carolina
Reuters: Viral Video Shows Police Officer Violently Arresting Black High School Student in South Carolina on October 26, 2015
"Federal authorities launched a civil rights investigation on Tuesday into a white deputy's arrest of a black high school student in South Carolina, after video showed him slamming the teenager to the ground and dragging her across a classroom.
The actions by officer Ben Fields at Spring Valley High School in Columbia on Monday drew swift condemnation after video recordings of the incident went viral and raised fresh concerns over whether the use of police in schools can criminalize behavior once handled by educators."
---Reuters, October 27, 2015
Associated Press: Controversial Police Action in a South Carolina High School
"Videos taken by students and posted online show Fields warning the girl to leave her seat or be forcibly removed on Monday. The officer then wraps a forearm around her neck, flips her and the desk backward onto the floor, tosses her toward the front of the classroom and handcuffs her.
Lott pointed out at a news conference that the girl can also be seen trying to strike the officer as she was being taken down, but said he's focused on the deputy's actions as he decides within 24 hours whether Fields should remain on the force."
---Associated Press, October 27, 2015
CNN Broadcasts Hard-Hitting Documentary by Fareed Zakaria on the American Disaster in Iraq
October 26, 2015 (Monday)
Above: Map of Iraq
CNN: Fareed Zakaria's Denunciation of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
"But in the end, the Iraq War was a failure and a terrible mistake, causing geopolitical chaos and humanitarian tragedy.
Once the regime fell apart, the society fell apart. Millions of Iraqis were displaced and at least 150,000 civilians died. That's in addition to the almost 4,500 brave American troops."
---Fareed Zakaria, CNN Broadcast, October 26, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series, Game 1: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 27, 2015 (Tuesday)
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, Pleads Guilty to Federal Crimes
October 28, 2015 (Wednesday)
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Associated Press: Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, Pleads Guilty, October 28, 2015
CNBC Republican Presidential Debate in Boulder, Colorado
October 28, 2015 (Wednesday)
Above:
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Slate: The Idea of Jeb Being Doomed
Above: Slate.com article regarding Jeb Bush's GOP debate performance on October 28, 2015
Associated Press: Bush Fails in GOP Debate
Washington Post: Jeb Bush Didn't Do What He Needed To Do
Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: "The Agony of Jeb Bush"
"He just isn't all that good at this. And he knows it.
There's no other conclusion that you could draw after watching Jeb Bush flail in Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate. Bush looked overmatched and lost — an image made all the worse by the fact that he was positioned on the stage in Boulder, Colo., next to Marco Rubio, his one-time political mentee but now quite clearly his superior in the race."
---Chris Cillizza, Washington Post, October 29, 2015
The Daily Caller's Matt Lewis: Jeb Bush Should Drop Out
"Thoughtful conservatives, if they are to stop Donald Trump and Ben Carson, must — at some point — coalesce around an alternative. Marco Rubio seems the most likely choice. Unless Jeb Bush destroys him.
Does Bush really want that to be his legacy?"
---Matt Lewis, Daily Caller, October 29, 2015
Weekly Standard's Jonathan V. Last: Jeb is Dead
"In sum: Bush’s attack on Rubio was both a tactical and strategic failure. His campaign is cooked."
---Jonathan V. Last, Weekly Standard, October 28, 2015
The Atlantic's David Frum: Jeb Bush's Flaws
"Twice, Bush has said that if the campaign is going to be a ridiculous carnival, he doesn’t want to participate. Guess what? Presidential campaigns are always, to a considerable extent, ridiculous carnivals. But that’s not the only thing they are, or have to be, and it’s the quality and character of a presidential candidate to elevate them into something more.
But even more worryingly: Notice how often Jeb Bush—when he meets adversity—reverts to talking about himself and his feelings. Many politicians suffer moments of depression, but the good ones can take a punch and keep smiling until the opportunity arrives to hit back. All politicians are self-involved, but most at least can remember to put the public first when the microphones are switched on. Not Jeb Bush."
---David Frum, The Atlantic, October 29, 2015
Timothy Egan of The New York Times: "Jeb Bush's Mayday"
"Bush never recovered. Later, his people complained about not getting more questions. No, no, no. Better to pass away with a mercy killing.
You could blame political malpractice — bad aides, bad advice, bad strategy. A hundred million dollars doesn’t buy what it used to. But the fish stinks from the head down, as any Sicilian grandmother will tell you. Bush owns this debacle, the third in a row. The debate broke him. And the only question remaining is whether he’s deliberately managing a slow exit consisting of cringe-worthy moments, or if there’s something deep in his subconscious driving him to quit. In any event, I’m sure he can hear his mother’s admonition rattling through his ears: 'We’ve had enough Bushes.'"
---Timothy Egan, New York Times, October 29, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 2: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 28, 2015 (Wednesday)
Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, Becomes Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
October 29, 2015 (Thursday)
Above: AP photo of House Speaker Paul Ryan in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., October 29, 2015
Associated Press: Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, Becomes Speaker of the House, October 29, 2015
"Paul Ryan became the 54th speaker of the U.S. House on Thursday in a day of high political theater, a young new leader for a fractured Congress, charged with healing Republican divides and quieting the chaos of Capitol Hill."
---Associated Press, October 29, 2015
October 30, 2015 (Friday)
Associated Press: White House Announces that U.S. Special Forces to go to Syria, October 30, 2015
"A small number of U.S. special operations forces will be sent to northern Syria to work with local troops in the fight against Islamic State militants, the White House announced Friday, marking the first time Americans will be deployed openly on the ground in the country.
President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of fewer than 50 commandos to help coalition forces coordinate with local troops, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said."
---Associated Press, October 30, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 3: New York Mets Defeated the Kansas City Royals
October 30, 2015 (Friday)
Metrojet Flight 9268 Destroyed in Flight Over Sinai, Egypt and Cause is Unknown
October 31, 2015 (Saturday)
Above: CNN headline, November 8, 2015
2015 Major League Baseball World Series Game 4: Kansas City Royals Defeated the New York Mets
October 31, 2015 (Saturday)
November 2015